Railway-torpedo placer.



W. O. BEGKWITH.

RAILWAY TOEPEDO PLACER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAYZS, 1912.

Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER c. BECKWITH, or FOSTOBIA, oHIo.

RAILW'AY-TORPEDO PLACER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, IVALTER C. BEOKWITH, acitizen of the United States, residing at Fostoria, in the county ofSeneca and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Railway-Torpedo Placers, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in railway torpedo placers, whichis especially designed to be used from a train in motion, the object ofwhich is to provide a safe, convenient, inexpensive and always reliabletorpedo-holder and placer.

The primary object of my invention is to so construct the device thatthe spring retaining means engages the spring clip of the torpedo andnot the torpedo itself, thereby avoiding all danger of exploding thetorpedo when placing the same on the rail.

Another object of my invention is to so construct the sprincr retainingmeans that it will fit torpedoes of all shapes, sizes and constructions,whether fiber, paper or metal.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1' is a side elevation of thepresent improvement showing my device about to place atorpedo on therail. Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing one side of my device holdingand placing a torpedo and the other side empty.

My present invention relates to that form of torpedo placers oradjusters for holding and placing a spring clip torpedo on the railwhile the train is in motion, by holding the spring clip in an openposition to receive the tread of the rail, and to release the springclip and thus permit it to grasp the rail and be held thereto inposition to be ex ploded by a passing train.

Referring now to the drawings, a suitable frame 1 is provided, and thisframe has three downwardly and forwardly extending arms 2, the said armsforming two yokes as clearly shown in Fig. 2. At a central point in theframe 1 a suitable socket 3 is provided to hold a handle 4. The forwardcurve of the arms 2 enables the operator to more easily adjust thetorpedo over the rail in placing the same.

5 are U-shaped torpedo retaining springs, the downwardly extending armsof which are parallel to the arms 2 of the frame 1. These springs havecentrally located loops Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 23, 1912.

Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

Serial No. 699,220.

6 through which bolts 7 pass clamping the springs to the frame 1 bymeans of nuts 8. The springs 5 have coils 9 engaging lugs 10 on theframe 1 to hold the said springs in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.The coils 9 held in close engagement with the lugs 10 allow the ends ofthe arms 2 to be movable sidewise, (as shown in dotted lines Fig. 2)without changing the upper position of the springs. In order to giveadditional spring tension to the arms of the spring 5,

the loops 11 are provided. The U-shaped springs 5 are adapted to besprung sidewise, as shown in dotted lines in the empty side of my deviceas shown in Fig. 2, in order to fit any size and shape of torpedo, ofthe spring clip variety that may be desired. The downwardly extendingarms of the U shaped springs fit in the bend of the spring clip close tothe torpedo and hence are kept in place and are sidewise.

12 are recesses cast in the extremities of the portions 2 of the frame1, to hold the ends of the spring clip 13 of a torpedo 14 as shown inFig. 2.

In operation the torpedo is placed in the device as shown, and it isreleased and permitted to grasp the rail by a downward pressure on theplacer. The torpedo 14 is placed prevented from slipping between thedownwardly extending arms of the U-shaped spring 5, one arm on each sideof the torpedo, engaging the spring clip where the clip joins thetorpedo. The spring 5 is then sprung upwardly until the arms of thespring clip 13 can be inserted into the recess 12 which then holds thetorpedo in theposition as shown in Fig. 2. The downward pressure on thehandle it causes the torpedo 14 to engage the top of the rail, and tocause the spring 5 to retract or move upward, and this retractingmovement of the spring which holds the torpedo permits the ends of thespring clip 13 to come out of engagement with the shoulders or recesses12 and thus releases them and allows them to instantly grasp the rail.

Having this described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A railway torpedo placer, comprising a member arranged to hold andplace a torpedo, springs carried by said member adapt-- ed to engage thespring clip of the torpedo, and exerting a downward pressure thereupon,the said springs flexible longitudinally the said clip.

2. A railway torpedo placer, comprising a member arranged to hold andplace a torpedo, springs carried by said member adapted to engage thespring clip of the torpedo and adjacent thereto, and exerting a downwardpressure thereupon, said springs adapted to slide transverse the saidspring clip.

3. A railway torpedo placer comprising a member arranged to hold andplace a torpedo, springs carried by the said member engaging the springclip of the torpedo on each side thereof and adjacent thereto, saidsprings both flexible longitudinally of the clip and adapted to slidetransverse the said clip for the purposes described.

4. A railway torpedo placer, comprising a member arranged to hold andplace a torpedo, a U-shaped spring carried by said member, said springhaving forwardly extending arms adapted to engage the spring clip of thetorpedo and adjacent thereto, and exerting a downward pressurethereupon, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

VALTER G. BECIUVITH.

W'itnesses:

ELMER C. HEIL, C. B. BROWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

